Aluminum and aluminum alloys, such as Al-Sn, Al-Mg-Sn and Al-Ca-Sn alloys, are of particular importance for use as the anode in galvanic cells for the production of electrical energy. It is known that the rate of dissolution of aluminum anodes can be significantly altered by the presence of certain "impurities" or additions, either alloyed in the anode itself or within the electrolyte surrounding the anode. For example additions of the salt's of Pt, Fe, Cu Ni, Au, Zn Hg and Pb to the electrolyte solution are known to precipitate on the surface of an Aluminum anode and inhibit the dissolution thereof. Additions of Sn ions to an electrolyte solution or in the Aluminum anode itself has been shown to be an activator. Whether the aluminum surface is activiated or passivated however, the effect is rarely uniform and local action causes pitting of the anode and the like, thereby reducing the electrical efficiency of the cell. Heretofore, it has generally been found necessary to employ ultra-pure aluminum (99.999%) as the base material of Aluminum anodes in order to avoid the problems of pitting corrosion and the like. Ultra pure aluminum is, however, extremely expensive to produce and low grades such as pure (99.85%) are to be preferred, and secondary steps are then necessary to reduce self corrosion. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,554,447 refers to the addition of zincates to the electrolyte to reduce self-corrosion. However, zinc is deleterious to electrical properties of the cell, and the purity of the Aluminum metal has to be determined by the opposing demands of the necessary electrochemical properties and the increased cost with increased purity. Various other alternatives such as additions of Ga, Mg and In to the anode or Va, In and Tl to an alkaline electrolyte have also been suggested. In every case, however, the emphasis has always been on either additions of an activator or of a passivator within a precisely defined range of concentrations. All of these systems are, therefore, a compromise between maximum energy efficiency (equivalent to minimum internal electrical resistance of the element) and minimum self corrosion (equivalent to protective surface layers on the anode material which results in increased internal resistance). These systems are inflexible and static in design and therefore not particularly suitable for use in modern battery systems which require high current densities, constant voltage, flexible load conditions, long shelf life, capable of intermittent usage and so on. There is therefore, a need to develop a battery and in particular an aluminum-air battery which maximises energy output while minimising self-corrosion.